Cubes: Help Close the Portal

The Kunst- en Natuurroute Wemeldinge 2026 opened the gateway to Metamelei, a world born from the pencil strokes of M.V. Baks. As large numbers of visitors passed through during those days, a tiny crack formed between our world (Earth-14519) and the world of Metamelei (Earth-34189). That small fracture gradually expanded into a tear 10 cm wide, allowing a yellow cube to fall into our world.

A small fragment of information from Metamelei had been cast into our hands. Like water bursting through a breached dike, the cubes poured in, and with every new cube the gateway opened a little further. Cubes soon filled the former diving shop, Octopussy, in Wemeldinge.

Something had to be done. And who could be better suited for this task than M.V. Baks himself? It was Michael who, together with the visitors, took up the challenge of giving every cube a place and closing the portal during the Zomerfeesten of Wemeldinge.

In Cubes: Help to Close the Portal, several of M.V. Baks’ concepts come together as one greater whole. To stop the invasion of the cubes, Michael united everything that had previously existed on its own. Earlier projects found their way onto the battlefield: Live Lines, where drawings emerge spontaneously as the camera follows the creative process; Grounded Truth, where chalk drawings temporarily occupy public spaces; and Metamelei, a world in which the pencil line tells stories on a grand scale.

For the first time, these worlds met within a single installation. For the first time, they stood side by side in the fight against the invading cubes.

That M.V. Baks’ work revolves around the visitor’s experience, the power of the present moment, and the perseverance of the inner self is clearly reflected in Cubes: Help to Close the Portal. This time, however, Michael also asks his visitors to make choices of their own.

An octopus arm crawls its way up the wall, while an eye stares back at you from the corner of a window frame. The windows are covered with black fabric. Cubes and a notice are pressed between the fabric and the glass. A small peephole offers a glimpse of what is happening inside—unless Michael has already heard you and is holding his blue eye in front of the opening. If so, you’re in for quite a scare.

A large arrow points towards the entrance, where you are welcomed by Wout Kole’s paintings of Zeeland horses, rendered in remarkable detail.

The room is illuminated by the gentle modelling light of a studio flash. Three large black curtains block your way.

Am I here for a photo?

Cheerful music drifts from behind the curtains. Your hesitation about whether to continue is interrupted by a clear, welcoming voice:

“Good morning, please come in.”

As you weave your way through the curtains, you almost stumble over a large pile of cubes and an enormous chalk drawing. Like so many before you, you remain standing at the entrance for a moment, taking in the place where you have unexpectedly arrived.

“Please keep moving, you’re holding up the line.”

You snap out of your amazement and continue walking, stepping deeper into the space—and into a completely new experience.

From time to time, M.V. Baks would settle outside for a while. A breath of fresh air and a short break from the emotions and meaningful conversations with visitors. But Michael wouldn’t be Michael if he couldn’t make a drawing even while eating an apple.

This time, he was joined by two children. Together they brightened the street with lotus flowers and enormous dinosaurs small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Even after Michael had returned inside, the abandoned pieces of sidewalk chalk continued to serve a purpose. Visitors drew snakes and all kinds of other creations, leaving their own marks behind.

No experience is complete until someone breaks the ice for everyone else. And who could do that better than a child? The honour therefore went to Michael’s daughter, Dahlia.

Dahlia received the yellow cube—the very first cube to fall into our world. Her word was: “Dahlia's.” Why? Because everyone loves flowers, but when Daddy draws them, they never have to be picked.

My father was second in line and chose the two windmills of Wemeldinge. It was a beautiful opportunity to extend the seal beyond the floor and onto the wall. It was an interesting experiment, but the wall proved far too hungry for chalk. Its rough, hard texture quickly wore the chalk away.

And so, the windmill sails drawn by my father now stand still in silence.

The growth of the installation was determined by two things: the number of cubes that had entered our world and the number of people willing to take part. One week after the Kunst- en Natuurroute Wemeldinge 2026, the first cubes crossed into our world—a yellow one at first, followed by white and black cubes.

In total, 164 cubes had fallen through the portal, and just over 100 people helped expand the seal throughout the weekend.

Michael’s partner, Pumvadee, drew in chalk all the way from Bangkok to contribute to the installation. Her love for her cat, “กอลั่ม (Gollum),” became part of the beginning of a growing drawing. Later, however, the cat would end up falling into the river.

Michael’s studio assistant, Lumi, also had a word: “Lumen.” Without light, you cannot see your surroundings, but with too much light, you cannot see them either. The amount of light must be just right to reveal what is there. Let the light shine upon your drawing, so that it may be seen.

Anne was unable to visit the installation that weekend to choose a cube. Instead, she decided to create one in advance: a smaller version, beautifully decorated with her rediscovered passion for dried flowers in her favourite colour. It would not have been complete without a pedestal, just like Cube, M.V. Baks’ graduation project, which invites the viewer to quietly observe as many of its surfaces as possible.

The market stalls were being set up, and the entire street had come alive. The atmosphere was no longer confined to the corner of the exhibition space and the lively terrace of Hotel-Restaurant Smits. Everything suggested that a large number of visitors was expected.

With one final power cable running outside, the first visitors were already waiting at the curtain at exactly 10:00 a.m.

“Good morning, come on in.”

Sometimes the contribution came from an entire family or a couple. At other times, everyone in a group chose their own cube and their own word. The warmth, love, and sense of connection people shared far exceeded all expectations. The tone for the second morning of the happening was set almost immediately.

Love revealed itself in many different forms throughout the weekend. The word itself appeared six times; it became the magic word. Yet love also expressed itself in many other ways.

One couple, expecting their first child in September, took part while the mother was heavily pregnant. Another couple had just passed the twelve-week mark and was completely captivated by the promise of new life.

It was not only about love for one another, but about every form that love can take.

Love was also expressed through the remembrance of those who are no longer with us. Sometimes this happened on the very anniversary of their passing. A basketball player with jersey number 14, and the “Ladies in Green”, dedicated to fathers, became part of the growing drawing.

So, if the little flowers never bloomed, they would instead stand as a tribute to all the loved ones who have passed away. We paused to remember them, and the drawing came to carry those warm memories with it.

Some words carried a heavier meaning: “Climate” and “Second World War.” Through the “Battle of the Scheldt,” we paused to remember the many lives that were lost.

Yet there was also plenty of room for laughter. Emoticons found their way into the drawing, and pop culture claimed its place through Pokémon: “Pikachu.” Somewhere along the way, a “sad whale” quietly swam by as well.

A great deal of warmth also found its way into the spiritual. “Jesus Lives,” “Tolerance,” “Awareness,” and “Compassion” were shared as guiding words, offering support to every visitor.

The “River” provides the water that sustains life, while “Light” gives life its energy. And so, we find ourselves once again completing the cycle of life.

Although we live in uncertain times, where the world is changing faster than we can keep up with, this project truly came from the heart. If one cube managed to capture the spirit of the weekend, it was the one bearing the words: “Next to Me.”

And so, the weekend came to a close with a touch of psychedelic influence and a final “Glow.”

I would like to thank everyone for their contributions, ideas, feedback, and the wonderful conversations we shared. Together we paused to reflect on moments of sorrow, only to find ourselves laughing again at the beauty of the world around us.

Namasté 🫶